Electrically-operated controlling apparatus.



E. W. VOGEL.

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IUIYII'. I9I4I 1,299,638. Patented Am 8,1919.

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ELECTRICALLY OPERATED CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IULY81l9I4.

Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

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ELECTRICALLY OPERATED CONTROLLING APPARATUS. APPLICATION 'HLED, JULYS,I914.

Patented Aprfs, 1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @FTQE.

EUGENE W. VOGEL, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHICAGO RAILWAYSIGNAL AND SUPPLY COMPANY, OF CARPENTERSVILLE, ILLINCIS, A CORPURATION0F ILLI- NOIS.

Application filed July 8, 1914'.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE W. VoenL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Op eratedControlling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for controlling the operation of aninstrument or mechanism, and particularly to a controlling apparatuswhich, upon actuation, sets in operation the controlled instrument ormechanism and after a determinate interval automatically stops theoperation of the same. The invention has in view more specifically acontrolling apparatus suitable for governing the operation of aninstrument employed in railway signaling service, for example, a highwaybell or similar alarm device; but it might be utilized in othersituations and in connection with other mechanisms where similarconditions are met with.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide an apparatusof this sort which may be operated wholly by electricity, which will beinexpensive to manufacture, and strong, light and durable inconstruction, and which will not readily get out of order.

A further object of the invention is to provide a controlling mechanismof this sort which can be easily adjusted so as to vary the timeinterval.

The invention consists in the novel constructions, arrangements anddevices, to be hereinafter described and claimed, for carrying out theabove objects and such other objects as will appear from the followingdescription.

The invention is illustrated, in a preferred embodiment, in theaccompanying drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of theapparatus;

Fig. 2, a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4, detail sectional views taken on lines 83 and Jr-4: ofFig. 2;

Fig. 5, an elevation of the opposite side of the apparatus from thatshown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6, a plan view of the apparatus with certain parts removed forthepurpose of showing more clearly the electrical constructions thereof;

Specification of Letters Eatent.

ELECTBICALLY-OPERATED CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

Serial No. 849,743.

Fig. 7, a diagram showing'the application the controlling apparatus ofmy invention to the operation of a signaling bell, this installationshowing the apparatus as actuated by the deflection of the rails underthe Weight ofpassing trains, and

Fig. 8, a similar diagram to illustrate the actuation of the device bymeans of track circuits.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in the several figuresof the drawings.

Referring first to Fig. 7, A designates a railroad track over which thetrafiic passes in opposite directions, B a highway, and C an alarm orhighway signaling bell which is set ringing as the train approaches thehighway B. Ordinary highway bells ring continuously from the time atrain comes on the block which the highway crosses until it leaves saidblock, or at least until it crosses the highway. If a train stays forany length of time on the block, for example, a freight train inswitching, the continuous ringing of the highway bell is an annoyancebesides lessening its efficiency as a warning signal. My inventionprovides an apparatus which sets the bell ringing when the train reachesa point at a certain distance from the highway and after a determinateinterval silences the bell regardless of whether the train has crossedthe highway or not.

If atrain approaches the highway from the left it sets the bellcontrolling apparatus in operation by actuating a track instrument D. Atrain approaching the highway from the right actuates, to similareffect, a track instrument D. The track instruments D, D are furnishedwith interference devices E, E which operate, in each case, to preventthe functioning of the track instruments with which they arerespectively associated on the. approach of trains toward saidinstruments in the direction from the highway. The construction of theinstruments D, D, E, E in an arrangement eX- actly the same as shown inFig. 7, is described in my co-pending application Serial No. 847,291filed June 25, 1914, and patented July 4, 1916, No. 1,189,316, so that adetailed description of the same in this application will beunnecessary. It will suffice to say that the instruments D, D arefurnished with pairs of circuit closing contacts 25, 26 and 25, 26respectively, which are brought together When one of the rails of thetrack A is deflected by trains moving past the instrument in thedirection toward the highway.

The apparatus constituting my present invention which operates, when itscircuit is closed at 25, 26 or 26, to set the bell ringing and,'after adeterminate period, to silence the same, is preferably constructed asfollows:

27 is a pendulum the bob 28 of which is adjustable lengthwise of thependulum by means of a set screw 29. The pendulum is fixed to a rockingshaft 30 mounted in bearings 31 in a framework 32 preferably supportedon an insulating base 33. Fixed to the other end of shaft 30, andconsituting in effect part of the pendulum, is an arm 34 provided at itslower end with a. catch 35 adapted to be engaged by an angular trip 36pivotally moimted. in a clevis 37 on the base 33. 38 is anelectro-magnet having pole pieces 39 and an armature 40 which latter issecured to the Lip-standing arm 41 of the trip 36. Attached to the arm34 is the armature 42 of a magnet 43 provided with angular pole pieces44 and mounted in a diagonal position on a standard 45. The arm 34carries at its lower end a spring contact 46 adapted on the forwardstroke of the pendulum, that is, when it moves toward magnet 43, to makea wiping contact with a stationary contact device 47 on the base. Inpassing contact 47 on the return stroke the contact spring is held awayfrom contact 47 by a guiding cam 48. In Fig. 6 one dotted figure showsthe position of the contact spring 46 just before it engages contact 47,and the other dotted figure in position when about to engage the guidingcam 48 on the return stroke. The engagement of contacts 46, 47momentarily energizes magnet 43, the attractive force of which on thependulum supplements the action of gravity so as to keep the pendulum inoscillation.

Fixed to the rocking shaft 30 is a sleeve 1 49 formed with an arm 50 towhich is pivoted a pawl 51, the arm'being formed with severalperforations 52 for the pivot pin 53' of the pawl, so that the positionof the pawl is capLble of adjustment. The pawl operates on a ratchetwheel 54 fixed to a shaft 55 revolubly mounted in the frame 32. One ormore cam wheels are secured to the same shaft 55. I have shown threesuch cam wheels designated 56, 57, 58. These devices, and preferablyalso the ratchet wheel 54 are fixed to the shaft 55 by set screws 59 sothat their relative positions on the shaft 55 may be varied. Each camwheel is formed with a notch or cam groove 60 (Fig. 4) into which fitsarounded projection 61 on a'steel plate 62 carried by an insulatingblock 63 on a contact spring secured to the base 33below each of saidcam wheels. 7 The spring below cam wheel 56 is designated 64 and thosebelow wheels 57, 58 are designated 65, 66, respectively. When the camwheel 56 is rotated by the oscillation of the pendulum, the projection61 is forced out of the cam groove 60 and bears upon the smoothperimeter 67 of the wheel. This forces the end of the contact springagainst a fixed contact 68 closing the circuit of bell C and a circuitthrough magnet 38 and bridging the trackdevices D, D.

The contact springs 65, 66 are preferably provided, in each case, withdouble terminal members 69, 70. The upper member 69, in each' case, isadapted to bear against an overhanging contact 71 when the spring is inits upper position. l Vhen the spring is forced down by the cam wheelthe lower member thereof bears against a lower fixed contact 72. Thecircuit making and breaking means provided by the springs 65, 66 andtheir associated parts, may be employed for the energization anddeenergization of any suitable electrically operated mechanisms, thetiming of which, with respect to the bell ringing apparatus which iscontrolled by contact spring 64 and with respect to each other, may beadjusted by an appropriate adjustment of the cam wheels 57, 58 on shaft55. I have not shown any such mechanisms as the use and operation of theinvention will be fully understood from the description of the operationof the bell ringing mechanism which is effected through theinstrumentality of the contact spring 64. g

The operation of the controlling apparatus above described, whenemployed for controlling the bell ringing mechanism C in theinstallation shown in Fig. 7, is as follows:

Assuming that a train is moving from left to right on track A when itreaches the track instrument D the contact 26 is brought against contact25 closing a. circuit through magnet 38 and battery G as follows: Wires73, 74, contacts 25, 26, wires 7 5, 76, binding post 77, wires 78, 79,magnet- 38, wire 80, binding post 81 and wire 82. Magnet 38 is energizedand attracts its armature 40 there by releasing the pendulum whichswings toward magnet 43. v

The first forward stroke of the pendulu causes pawl 51 to engage ratchetwheel 54 turning thesame so as to force the projection 61 out of thenotch 60 in the cam wheel 56. This brings contact spring 64 againstcontact. 68 closing a circuit through the bell ringing mechanism C asfollows: Wire'82, binding post 83, wire 84, stationary contact 68,contact spring 64, binding post 7 7 wire 86, the bell ringing mechanismC, wire 87, binding post 81 and wire 82.

Inasmuch as contacts 25, 26 of the track instrument remain together forarelatively short period, depending upon the length of through thecontact spring 64 bridging the contacts 25, 26. WVhen the contact springwipes along contact 47 on its forward stroke toward magnet 43 it closesa circuit through the magnet 43 as follows: to binding post 77 throughcont-act spring 64 as above described, wire 78, wire 88 to the frame 32,arm 34 and contact spring 46, stationary contact 47, wire 89, magnet 43,wire 90, binding post 91, wire 92, binding post 81 and wire '82. Thismomentarily energizes the magnet 43 which attracts its armature 42 onthe arm 34 and imparts a forward impulse to the pendulum which ceases assoon as contacts 46, 47 separate. On the return stroke the contactspring moves along the guiding cam 48 and by this means is kept awayfrom the stationary contact 47.

This operation is repeated until the notch 0 on the cam wheel 56 hasmade one complete revolution, whereupon the projection 61 on contactspring 64 slips into the notch 60 in the cam wheel and the contactspring 64 separates from the contact 68. This breaks the circuit throughthe bell C which stops ringing. It also breaks the circuit through themagnet 38 with the result that the trip 36 drops and on the next returnstroke of the pendulum engages the arm 34 holding the pendulum instationary position.

The period required for one complete revolution of the ratchet wheel 54and of the cam wheel 56, which determines the length of time that thebell rings after being set in operation, may be varied by attaching thepawl 51 to arm 50 at diflerent points, the arm being provided for thispurpose with a plurality of perforations 52. A closer adjustment may bemade by moving the bob 28 up and down on the pendulum.

A train moving in the opposite direction on track A, that is, from rightto left, on passing the track instrument D operates the apparatus inexactly the same manner, the contacts 25, 26 being connected with wires76 and 7 3 respectively, by wires 75, 74.

Fig. 8 shows the apparatus as actuated from track circuits instead of bymeans of the rail deflection instruments D, D of the other installation.Portions of the track H, at suitable distances on opposite sides of thehighway J, are insulated so as to provide blocks K, L, K, L, for thecontrol of the interlocking relays M, M. The presence ofa train movingtoward the highway on the block K or the block K causes the relay M or Mto drop its armature, closing the circuit at 93, 94 or 93, 94. Thecontacts 93 or 93 are connected with the Wire 73 by wires 95, 95. Wires96, 96 connect the con tacts 94, 94 with wire 7 6. In other respects theinstallation is exactly the same as that shown in Fig. 7.

l/Vhile I have described my invention in certain preferred embodiments,modifications might be made without departure from the principles of theinvention. Therefore I do not wish to be understood as limiting theinvention to the precise constructions, arrangements and devices shownand described except so far as said constructions, arrangements anddevices are specifically made limitations in certain of the claimsherein.

I claim:

1. In controlling device, the combination with a pendulum, of aretaining device for the same, a magnet which when energized causes saidretaining device to release the pendulum, means for momentarily closinga circuit through saidmagnet to initially energize the same, a circuitmaking and breaking element adapted to close a second circuit throughsaid magnet, means for holding said second circuit closed for apredetermined period comprisin mechanism operated by the movement ofsaid pendulum to move said element in one direction when the pendulum isreleased and permits its movement in the opposite direction at theexpiration of said predetermined period; and a magnet intermittentlyenergized and adapted to momentarily attract said pendulum.

2. In controlling device, the combination with a pendulum, of aretaining device for the same, a magnet which when energized causes saidretaining device to release the pendulum, means for momentarily closinga circuit through said magnet to initially energize the same, a circuitmaking and breaking element adapted to close a second circuit throughsaid magnet, means for holding said second circuit closed for apredetermined period comprising a cam wheel which bears against thecircuit making and breaking element to close said second circuit, aratchet wheel connected with said cam wheel, a pawl providing anadjustable connection between the pendulum and ratchet wheel whereby theamount of angular movement of the ratchet wheel for each stroke of thependulum may be varied, and a magnet intermittently energized to keepsaid pendulum in oscillation.

3. In controlling device, the combination with a pendulum, of aretaining device for the same, a magnet which when energized causes saidretaining device to release the pendulum, means for momentarily closinga circuit through said magnet to initially energize the same, a circuitmaking and breaking element adapted to close a second circuit throughsaid magnet, means for holding said second circuit closed for apredetermined period comprising a cam Wheel which bears against thecircuit making and breaking element to close said second circuit, aratchet Wheel connected With said cam Wheel, a pawl providing anadjustable connection between the pendulum and ratchet Wheel whereby theamount of angular movement of the ratchet Wheel for each stroke of thependulum may be varied, a magnet intermittently energized to keep saidpendulum in oscillation, and a third circuit closed by the movement ofthe pendulum for energizing said last named magnet.

L. A. FALKENBERG, G. Y. SKINNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

